Oh, hi. Yes, it’s me. Funny, I feel like a stranger here, right in my own house, so to speak. I know it’s been a while. I’ve been meaning to say hello for a long time, but as the weeks and months passed, it became harder to just dive in.

My time has been consumed by a magical little man named Luca. He was born on October 7^th, and wow, he’s awesome. I could go on and on! But I’ll try to control myself. I’ll just say that I never thought I’d meet anyone so sweet and charming that I actually don’t mind getting up at 2am, 4am, or whatever AM hours he decides he wants to hang out.

Everything, literally, has changed. We moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey to be closer to Luca’s grandparents (more on that later). No more sleeping in. No more late nights out. I’m working on getting my writing and cooking grooves back. I’m almost there. The only thing left from our previous life is the little couch on which we’d spent so many hours watching Netflix back in Brooklyn. It’s sitting in our basement, playing out scenes from a prior existence as we walk by to do laundry.

As unfamiliar as my life has become, I look at Luca and it all makes sense. It’s strange—I see him and think, of course you’re my son. He is such a natural extension of Joe and me, it’s as if I’d met him before; as if he’d been meant to be there all along. He just finally decided to show up, drooling and pooping his way into our strange new life.

All this baby talk leads me to two very important points: Boobs and Cookies. More specifically, Boob Cookies. I’m breastfeeding, so I spend A LOT of time thinking about my boobs. If you’ve been there, you know exactly what I mean. If not, this will just sound strangely obsessive.

Working full time and breastfeeding is especially insane. Not only do you have to keep up—you have to stay ahead so your kiddo has a stash of milk in the fridge until you get home. So you pump and pump. Eventually you start to feel more like a dairy factory than the hot momma you swore you’d be. But through it all, I just don’t mind. It’s amazing to see Luca grow from the 9.5 pounds he was at birth to the 17 pounds he is today, all through this one food source.

See? I’ll just go on if you don’t stop me! The point is, I know a lot of breastfeeding mommas obsess over eating foods that promote milk production. Again, if you’ve never been there, I realize this will just seem weird, and a little gross. But trust me.

In my own quest, I’ve developed a cookie recipe that has become my secret boob weapon. These are always in my purse, in my desk drawer, in my glove box. They include an army of ingredients known to increase milk supply, like brewers’ yeast, oatmeal, and flax. Some ingredients, like cinnamon and almonds, get mixed reviews on the topic of milk production, but I threw them in just in case. These have no butter, no white sugar (let’s, um, not count the chocolate chips), no white flour…there are so many excuses to just eat these with reckless abandon.

Here they are. And I promise, I won’t turn this blog into a boobie manifesto. This just felt like an apt way to say hello, given all that’s happened.

P.S. You don’t have to be lactating to enjoy these, but don’t call me if your milk suddenly comes in after eating a dozen or two.

Boob Cookies (or, for the mature among us, Lactation Cookies)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cups ground flax
8 tablespoons brewers’ yeast (you can get this at any health food store)
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cups skim milk
½ cup honey or molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
1 ½ cups chopped almonds
3 cups old-fashioned oats

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, flax, and brewers’ yeast in a large bowl.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vegetable oil, milk, honey, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until everything is combined after each batch.

Gradually mix in the chocolate chips, then the almonds, and finally, the oats, until everything is incorporated.

These cookies won’t expand while cooking, so place them on your cookie sheet in the shape you’d like them to appear when they’re done.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on their size.